By Prudence Arobani
New York – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the high-level visit of a delegation from Eritrea to neighbouring Ethiopia which began on Tuesday.
Guterres described the development as “a first concrete step” in the process of normalising relations between the two countries, said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric in a statement.
“The Secretary-General notes that diplomatic overtures to ease tensions and resolve the longstanding dispute between the two countries will have a far reaching positive impact on the whole region.
“The Secretary-General once again reiterates the readiness of the UN to play a role in support of the two countries in the implementation of the boundary decision or in any other area they would deem useful for the UN to assist,” the statement read.
Last week, Ethiopia under its new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, announced its readiness to finally accept and implement a 2002 border agreement with Eritrea, that ended two years of bloody conflict in which thousands died.
Since the border agreement, the countries have remained on a war-footing.
Guterres responded to the June 21 thaw in relations by welcoming the “positive step” and commended efforts by the leaders of both countries “to achieve sustainable peace and good neighbourly relations which, in turn, will have positive repercussions in the entire Horn of Africa region.”
This week’s diplomatic initiative to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, was led by Eritrean Foreign Minister, Osman Saleh.
According to news reports, the Ethiopian Prime Minister announced that Ethiopian Airlines would restart flights to Etritrea, for the first time since 1998.
